Broken
by D. C. Zed
Summary: Which hurts more a broken promise, a broken heart or a broken mind? Set near the end of the first series. BryanMariah. KaiRay yaoi. Review please. Chapter 3 up.
1. Promises

**Title** : Broken

**Summary** : Which hurts more; a broken promise, a broken heart or a broken mind? Set near the end of the first series.

**Pairing** : BryanMariah, some KaiRay, plus one sided MariahRay at beginning.

**Author** : D. C. Zed

**Disclaimer** : Beyblade and the characters aren't mine.

Please review.

* * *

He'd promised that he'd be there, but he wasn't. He was with **him**.

He'd promised that he loved her, but he didn't. He loved **him**.

He'd promised that he'd give her the world, but he couldn't. He gave it to **him**.

He'd promised that he'd be hers forever, but he wouldn't. He was **his**.

He had hurt her more than anybody could have thought possible and yet she still loved him and still wanted to be with him. He'd found somebody else, another man no less. She'd always known that Ray was bisexual but she never thought that he would leaver her – especially not for him! His team captain.

She didn't understand why things had turned out like they had, everything had been going so well for them, it was always just them, laughing and having fun, living for the moment and swearing that nothing would ever tear them apart.

Then **he** came along. Kai Hiwatari. He became the team captain of Ray's new team, and he took _her_ Ray away. It had been painful when Ray left the village, leaving The White Tigers to become part of this new team, leaving them, his child hood friends… Leaving her.

At the time it had been painful for Ray too. He had held her close to him and kissed her softly while stroking her hair and whispering that things were going to be fine. They'd sat together, cuddled up, for more than two hours.

She couldn't believe he was leaving, he'd always said that one day he would, but she, like all the others, just thought he was going to stay in the village and help lead The White Tigers to the top and become world champion with them.

She thought they'd always be together – after the tournaments were all over she thought that they could even get married and start a family of their own, and for a long time it looked that way.

But the Bladebreakers changed him. Ray, as she remembered him, was a tough and strong person with a fiery personality, often giving off the impression that he was out to really live his life and didn't give a damn about anything that might get in his way.

Ray was well known in the village for being the best beyblader they'd ever come across in the history of the White Tiger tribe, he always won his battles and that had earned him the bit chip of the white tiger – which he lost after joining the Bladebreakers. If he had stayed with the White Tigers, he never would have let Kevin fool him like that, never.

After that fiasco, she had thought that there was some hope for Ray to return to the team – but he chose the Bladebreakers. He betrayed them a second time and it had hurt her; he'd promised he'd never leave! He still left, and not only the team, but he left her too.

She hated the Bladebreakers for taking him, but she hated Kai the most. She remembered how Ray had told her that it was over while they were up on that mountain.

"_Mariah, I'm sorry. I have to go back, they need me… Kai needs me."_

"_Kai?"_

"_I'm so sorry Mariah…"_

She spat at the memory, not believing that he was sorry one bit. If he had never meant to hurt her then he wouldn't have left in the first place, let alone start seeing somebody else behind her back.

She couldn't understand why he had chosen that cold and heartless bastard over her. She had so much going for her! She was kind, she was pretty, she was fun to be with and Ray had often told her that she was 'an amazing kisser', so why? Was Kai better than her? Kai was cold. Kai didn't smile. Kai could never love him like she did.

She was truly broken hearted to have lost Ray, but what hurt more was the fact that he had lied to her!

"_I'll never leave you, Mariah. I love you."_

"_I love you too Ray."_

They had always been so happy…

-x-x-x-x-x-

Mariah threw her school books across her bedroom and slumped to her knees, sobbing loudly. "You bastard Ray! You stupid bastard!" She whispered through her tears, pushing a lock of pink hair back behind her pointed ear, wiping her damp cheeks with the back of her hand. It was so difficult to concentrate with thoughts of him forever messing with her mind; the good times they used to have, the games they used to play, the kisses he used to shower upon her.

It was all gone now.

Lee kept telling her that Ray wasn't worth all this fuss and that if he couldn't see how he had hurt her then he was a fool; but Lee didn't understand. Although just under a year younger than Lee, Ray had been his best friend, and it was difficult for Mariah to understand how her brother could let all this go so easily.

It had been a long time since Ray had left, but Mariah still missed him. Lee on the other hand didn't really seem to care, and that bugged his sister – how could he be so… Heartless?

Suddenly, the door crashed open and interrupted her brooding thoughts to reveal a short teenager with mid-length messy black hair and deep orange eyes, an annoyed expression on his face, fangs bared. Mariah stifled her snuffling as she looked up with her own golden eyes into those of her brother.

"If you're crying over Ray again then I suggest you get a hold of yourself Mariah, this is getting pathetic." He told her in a displeased tone, folding his arms across his chest and glaring down at her. "It's been _months_."

Mariah hastily wiped away her tears. "No Lee." She sighed, lying through her teeth. "It's this stupid school work. It's too hard." She explained, nodding toward the book she had flung away as if to back up her lie.

"You should ask for help when you need it." He replied, expression softening. He closed the door and sat down beside her, putting an arm round her shoulders, only to have her suddenly burst into tears again, turning away from her brother. Lee sighed, growling quietly. "This is about Ray, isn't it?"

A sniff and a small nod of the pink head told Lee that his suspicions about his sister's upset were correct. "Sorry Lee. I can't help it." She whimpered. "I…" She turned her tear-stained face toward him, her big golden eyes shining with the wetness. She bit her lower lip, sniffing again. "I just miss him so much."

"He's not worth this Mariah." The boy told her simply, standing up. "Forget him." He said a little too forcefully, earning himself a shocked gasp from Mariah as the pupils in those fierce eyes turned to slits. He ignored her and turned on his heel, leaving the room and slamming the door behind him. Mariah growled loudly in frustration.

"Sometimes Lee," she shouted at the closed door, "I really hate you!"

Wiping her face on the back of her hand once more, she forced herself to her feet and walked over to the window. She stared out across the sky, a beautiful light blue and not a cloud in sight. Stretching up and taking hold of the curtain rail, she pulled herself up onto the wide window sill, seating herself down with her back leant against the wall. She sighed, pulling her pink Galux blade from her pocket.

"Oh Ray…" She murmured, turning her head toward the window and closing her eyes against the bright sunlight. She ran her fingers over the smooth surface of the blade. "Why did you do this to me?" She reopened her eyes and raised a hand to shield them instead, looking out across the village: she could see for miles since her room was so high up. "Maybe one day I'll find some one who wants me."

* * *

Meanwhile, in Moscow, a beyblading team was being debriefed about the upcoming tournaments by their less-than-pleasant coach.

"The teams you are facing are nowhere near as strong as you." The booming voice of Boris Balcov informed his prize pupils, who were lined up against the training room wall, backs straight as rulers, eyes fixed dead ahead. "Failure is **not** an option, understood?" He sneered down at his team as if daring them to disagree.

"Yes Sir." The redheaded team captain replied with a nod of the head, making their trainer smirk.

"Good." He appeared satisfied with this answer and let out a laugh that sent a shiver down his team's spines. He opened the door and turned back to his students. "Now get out." He demanded. The four teenagers turned rigidly, marching toward their only exit from the building and their trainer, happy to get back to their dormitory rooms inside the main abbey building. They were almost out the door when Boris's voice brought them to an uneasy halt. "Oh, and Tala?"

The redhead turned back round and immediately stood to attention, looking a great deal like a trained soldier. "Sir?"

The bulky purple haired man fixed his team with a deathly leer. "Show no mercy."

"Yes Sir."

The Demolition Boys left the training hall, trudging through the snow across the grounds, making for their dormitory. However, as soon as they were out of their coach's ear shot, the team captain let out a loud and aggravated growl, causing his team mate Ian to jump, so much that he had to readjust the goggles that seemed to be stuck permanently to his mass of purple hair.

"Stupid Boris." Tala muttered, pulling a disgusted face. _"Show no mercy_." He mocked, causing the rest of his team mates to exchange amused glances. "Does he really need to tell us to win?" He asked nobody in particular, though the other three Russians shook their heads; although, whether that was in answer to their captain's rhetorical question or in exasperation at him was hard to figure out. The redhead continued to rant as they neared the dorms. "We're obviously going to win. He doesn't need to tell us to… Who does he think we are? Amateurs?"

"Or Kai?" Spencer offered, sniggering. Tala stopped in his tracks and hunched his shoulders.

"Don't even get me _started_ on him." He uttered, continuing to walk.

"You're just annoyed because he beat you in training." Ian chuckled as the Demolition Boys' captain then strode ahead, murmuring incoherently, though a couple of words were distinguishable : Stupid Black Dranzer. The short purple haired blader, Ian, laughed at this, their team captain hated the fact that he was no longer the Star Student in their coach's eyes. Luckily, Tala hadn't had to give up his place as team captain, since that would have made him _really_ mad, and the guy was far less than pleasant when he was angry.

Upon nearing their dormitory building, the tall lilac-haired blader spoke. "I'll follow later." He informed them, veering off to the side of the building and heading through a gate that lead him out of the grounds. The other three team members watched him for a minute, knowing that it was highly against the rules to leave the abbey without signed permission from Director Boris Balcov, but they didn't stop him. Denying the emotionless blader something he wanted was like letting a ten year old play with a gun... Highly dangerous, and often ended in pain, gore and sometimes even death.

The teenager made his way down the snow ridden empty street, musing over the upcoming battles. They were to be facing many teams, but the main team he was looking forward to would be Kai's old team, the Bladebreakers. He smirked slightly as he remembered what Hiwatari had said about the team: Don't underestimate them. Bryan scoffed, he saw that team as a joke. He saw Kai as a joke too. How could Boris have thought that he would bring victory for the team? The younger Russian was just another rookie compared to the rest of the Demolition Boys – except maybe Ian, but he was probably still stronger than that two-toned phoenix.

Kicking stones as he walked, Bryan sighed. He heard cheering and looked up from glaring at the floor, his eyes meeting a happy scene, one he wasn't used to. Normal kids that lead normal lives having a normal beyblade match. He half wished that he was like them and that he was able to go and battle them as just another teenager, but the other half was happy with the life he lead. He was a world class blader! That had been his dream right from when he was a child and he wouldn't give it up for anything, blading was his life. He remembered that he used to wander around the streets with Tala and watch other kids blade, wishing that he too could be a part of that. When Boris took them in, it was like a dream come true! They'd finally be a part of something to do with beyblading.

Still, couldn't he have got this far in a slightly more normal way like other bladers? He shook his head, more to shake away the isolated feeling than to actually disagree with himself. True, he would never be normal, but could he not find just a tiny bit of normality?

Doubtful. This was his life, his destiny, whether he liked it or not.

* * *

What did you think? Please review, it would make me really happy!


	2. Unwelcome Company

**Title** : Broken

**Summary** : Which hurts more; a broken promise, a broken heart or a broken mind? Set near the end of the first series.

**Pairing** : BryanMariah, some KaiRay, plus one sided MariahRay at beginning.

**Author** : D. C. Zed

**Disclaimer** : Beyblade and the characters aren't mine.

Please review.

**Thanks to** : Risen From the Ashes, Bluestray, Yazzy, she-devil-16, Milla Kuznetsov, Echo in the Dark, Ramen II and The man with the golden guitar **for their reviews! **(I didn't think I'd get more than 5!) _happy now!_

* * *

Mariah had woken up early the next morning, before the sun had even peeked above the cloud. The outside world was dark as she sat in her room, the oil lamp burning next to her, providing the only light and heat in her bedroom at that time. Her hair was loose and hung over one shoulder as she brushed it with care even though her mind was elsewhere.

Ray.

What would Ray be doing right that minute? Sleeping, no doubt since Russia was five hours behind time-wise and it was nearing 5:30 in the morning in China. She sighed, separating her hair equally either side and tying it into loose bunches since she had been told on various occasions that she looked cute with her hair like that. As she tied a white ribbon round the top of each pigtail, she once again began to wonder why Ray had left the team. If he'd stayed with the White Tigers it would have been them at the world championships now. Ray had truly let them down.

"I wish I was there." She thought out loud, imagining how proud her family would be to see their only daughter there in Russia battling it out for the title of Beyblade World Champion. She knew the light would be focused on her if she had gone, a girl had never won it before, let alone a girl from a tiny village that barely anybody knew about. It would be like making a stand for herself, for her village, for her race, for her family, for female bladers everywhere… But she knew now that it couldn't happen, no matter how much it would mean to the world. The neko-jin had never been given that much of a chance by outsiders since the rumour of how they came to be was none too flattering : After all, in the eyes of the ignorant, there is only _one_ way in which the genes of humans and cats can be mixed… And that theory, to Mariah, was not only disgusting but truly insulting as well. The neko-jin went far further back than even human beings themselves; they are simply creatures of different evolution.

Standing from her seat at her dressing table, a rickety one, hand-made by her father when she had been younger, Mariah walked across her room to gaze out of the window. The mountains looked so beautiful at night, she felt a smile form on her soft lips as she looked at them, watching the calm wind blow a few dry leaves through the air in front of her window, a single feather of a falcon amongst them. She gasped at it's beauty and quickly reached out, managing to grab it in her hand. The feather was a light brown colour with a few black speckles on it, not something many people would see as special, but as Mariah stroked it with her thumb, she felt a warm feeling rush through her.

Turning herself back in toward her room, she glanced around for a piece of string. She knew she had some in her room, but finding it was another matter.

"Aha!" She exclaimed in a whisper, finding a length of golden brown twine. She tied the feather onto it and tied it around her neck, leaving the loose ends of the string to tickle her shoulder blades. "I'll have to cut those." She told herself, once again stroking the feather. Mariah was almost surprised at how soft it was, 'whichever bird this feather has come from must look after it's plumage well,' she thought with a sweet, somewhat motherly smile.

Feeling a little refreshed, she glanced over her shoulder back at the window. The warm orange glow of the sun was creeping into the clouds, even though it wasn't due to rise for another two hours. Picking up her jacket from where it had been resting over the back of her chair, Mariah shrugged it on, wanting to be out in what she saw as the beauty of the early morning.

She blew out the oil lamp, submerging herself into darkness. After waiting for her eyes to adjust to the new light, or lack of it, she opened her bedroom door as quietly as she could, not wishing to wake anybody else up and suffer the whole day being called 'inconsiderate'. After closing her door carefully too, she turned to walk down the corridor but gasped, finding herself face to face with another person.

"Where are you going at this time of day?" The stern voice asked. Mariah didn't even need to be able to see properly to know that the speaker would have his arms folded and a glare on his face by now. She knew that he suspected her, but she still decided to play dumb, acting as innocently as she could, which, to be fair, was a hell of a lot.

"Lee, you frightened me." She told him quietly, though this act produced no reaction from her brother. A quick excuse was needed, so went for the easiest option. "I was going to fetch some water from the well. I noticed last night we were running low, and I wanted a drink of tea."

Lee stayed quiet for a minute, taking in his sister's appearance. She looked innocent enough and didn't seem to be wearing or carrying anything out of the ordinary, so he nodded, allowing her to pass. "Mariah…" He said in an expectant tone, disappointing his sister. She had been foolish to think that he would let it go that easily, she was hardly _ever_ up this early, and hardly ever willingly fetched the water either…

"Yes Lee?" She asked quietly with a slight sigh, though the Galeon blader didn't notice.

"I'm coming with you. It's still early and wildcats will still be roaming at these hours." He told her in a tone that she knew she was not to argue with. She bowed her head a little.

"Okay."

The pair walked along the length of the corridor in silence, both enjoying the serenity that was always apparent during the night, the only thing that would break the quiet would be the howling of the wildcats, but since they were considered as something close to sacred to the people of the village nobody minded. In a way it was considered a sign that everything was alright, when the howling of the cats stopped and even the crickets daren't make a noise, that was when it was known that something was very wrong. Just as Mariah was beginning to feel like things were too quiet, a well timed yowl of a wildcat calmed her senses.

"Thank you for caring Lee, but I would have been alright on my own." She told her brother with a smile. At times he could be the worst thing that ever happened to her, but at other times he understood her and knew when she wanted peace and quiet. Luckily it seemed like this morning was the latter.

Lee shot a very sarcastic _'oh-please'_ look at her. "Like _you_ can carry the buckets back on your own." He muttered, before stopping in his tracks, eyeing his sister suspiciously once more. "… What's that round your neck?"

Mariah's hand automatically closed around the falcon feather, a warm feeling once again rushing through her as she did so. "A feather. I… um…" She had to admit that she felt a little confused as to why a feather made her feel so warm inside, but there was no way she would deny that feeling either. Maybe the feather was special? Maybe it had been brought to her by fate? Or then again, maybe it was 'just a feather' and she was completely getting ahead of herself. "I thought it was pretty. It landed on my windowsill this morning and I liked it."

"I see." Lee replied sceptically, rolling his eyes. He didn't think he'd ever understand girls properly, especially not his sister. She was a complete mystery, how Ray could have coped was beyond him. A thought struck him, making a smirk appear on his face. "It wasn't a present from ray or anything, was it?" He asked mockingly. Mariah glared.

"No. It wasn't. And if you're going to be like this then you may as well stay here." She retorted, striding out of the front doors and down the stone steps ahead of her brother. Lee just watched her with a chuckle, she had gotten a lot moodier since Ray had left. Maybe his return would be for the better.

* * *

"What the-" Bryan woke with a start upon hearing a gunshot and the scream of a young woman, not knowing whether it was real or just a dream. He glanced around the dormitory, noticing that both Tala and Ian were also sat up in their beds, searching around with their eyes in the dark. Spencer had been known to sleep through a devastating earthquake, so it was no surprise that he was asleep but… He always awoke when something like this happened. It wasn't the first time a worker had been killed in the dead of the night and all four boys knew it wouldn't be the last. Balcov Abbey was not somewhere you wanted to be, especially when the Director was angry.

"What the fuck was that?" Bryan finished his sentence, pushing a few strands of lilac hair from his eyes. Across the room, in the bed opposite his own, he could see Ian clutching his pillow, while in the bed next to Ian, Tala was leant rigidly against his headboard, hugging his knees.

"That would have been the scientist that argued with him yesterday." A voice from the corner of the room muttered, making the other three bladers turn their heads toward Spencer, who was still lying down. So, he _had_ woken.

"It's Kai's fault he's angry." Tala muttered, spitting out Kai's name as though it was the filthiest word that one could ever imagine. "I hate him." The captain admitted, in a voice that would never have been associated with somebody as strong as the Wolborg blader. He sounded so _pathetic_, or that is what Boris would have told him anyway.

Hard, echoing footsteps on the stone stairs made the colour drain from Ian's face while Bryan and Tala exchanged fearful glances. Spencer didn't move, but they all heard his breathing hasten. The footsteps were drawing nearer and nearer to their dormitory, and it was obvious that their owner was livid with rage. Lying back down, Bryan refused to close his eyes, but instead kept them on Tala who had also laid back down, but he had pulled his thin blanket over his head and had squeezed his eyes tight shut, hoping that for once, it would be okay.

The door was opened with such force that it swung 180 degrees and slammed against the wall, cracking and splintering. Bryan couldn't help but swallow the lump of fear that had formed in his throat as he regarded the broad figure in the doorway, watching as a sickeningly spine-chilling grin spread across the man's face.

He was pure evil. There was no part of him that was good. He was a heathen. He was the Devil himself. He was Boris Balcov.

"Good evening, _my boys_."

* * *

To be continued…

Review please!


	3. Consequences

**Title** : Broken

**Summary** : Which hurts more; a broken promise, a broken heart or a broken mind? Set near the end of the first series.

**Pairing** : BryanMariah, some KaiRay, plus one sided MariahRay at beginning.

**Author** : D. C. Zed

**Disclaimer** : Beyblade and the characters aren't mine.

Please review.

**Thanks to** : Yazzy, she-devil-16, Echo in the Dark, Risen From the Ashes, Jashomara, Ramen II and SOMEONE2003 **for their reviews! **

* * *

Lying in bed with a cold flannel on her forehead seemed to be Mariah's plan for the day, whether she liked it or not. Since fetching the water from the well with Lee, a sudden fever had overcome her…

_**Flashback**_

Mariah and Lee finished pulling the bucket back up from the well, being careful not to spill the water as they detached the bucket from the ropes, ready to take it back. Since leaving their home, the pink haired blader kept feeling the irrational urge to stroke her new feather necklace, but as soon as her fingers raised up to touch it, a pang of pain shot through her head. She continually shook away the confusion, just labelling this reaction as strange coincidence, though by the time the pair had begun their trek back to the temple of their Grandfather, Mariah had started to feel extremely sick.

"Lee? Can we slow down? I'm not feeling so good." She asked reasonably, clutching her stomach in absentminded proof. Setting the bucket on the floor, Lee regarded his sister with concerned eyes. She didn't _look_ so good either, tired eyes and – was she pale?

"What kind of 'not good'?" He questioned, trying to decide whether she had paled in colour or whether that was just the effect of the moonlight on her skin. Mariah shrugged in return, noticing that even this simple action made her ache all over. Something was wrong, she had never felt like this before, her sickness was not normal sickness. It was the kind of sickness one felt when dreading something…

"I… I don't know. I feel sick." She replied, ignoring her ever-growing headache. "Let's get home, maybe I just need some food." She reasoned, beginning to walk again. Lee followed with the water, watching the girl for any sign of bad health. He noted that she was walking awkwardly, almost _limping_. Had she injured herself on the way? He didn't think so. He saw that she was also bent forward a little, as if the pain in her stomach was agonising. She _was_ paler than before, there was no doubting that fact. Something was wrong here, very wrong.

Upon reaching the house, both teens headed straight for the kitchen, Lee so that he could put the water away and Mariah so that she could find herself some food to see if it helped stop the sickness. Once in the light of the oil lamps, the elder sibling could see just how pale his sister was. She was almost white, and the usual happy glint in her eye had disappeared. Her eyes looked a dim ochre now rather than her usually gleaming gold. Lee was about to ask her how she felt again, when the girl suddenly grabbed her chest, hugging herself. She let out a pained moan before screaming loudly.

"Mariah!" Lee shouted, running over to her as she began to cry, coughing uncontrollably. "Mariah, breathe!" He urged while she just coughed violently, her pained eyes wide with terror, her salted tears flooding her pale cheeks.

Mariah fell to her hands and knees, shaking. She coughed again and screamed once more as she saw the blood that landed on the floor amongst her saliva. "Lee! Help me!" She cried, fear taking over her mind. Her breathing began to race. The pounding in her head was too much for her to cope with, she closed her eyes and wished it away. "Somebody please help me…" She whispered, unable to speak any louder as she began to lack in oxygen.

"Mariah, _NO_!" She heard Lee's panicked shout and felt his arm beneath her to break her fall as she let go of the world around her, sliding into a panic-induced sleep.

_**End flashback**_

And so that was it, since then she had been in bed with flushed cheeks and a cold flannel resting on her brow, two young women who were healers-in-training sat beside her. Lee had only left her side because he had responsibilities within the village, otherwise he would have stayed as well. Two of Mariah's childhood friends, Kevin and Gary, had paid a short visit, bringing with them an enormous bunch of flowers from Gary's mother (though it was small compared to Gary) and a wish for Mariah to get well soon. In the village, news travelled fast and the news that the chief's granddaughter was sick turned a lot of heads. Her attack had unnerved the rest.

During the afternoon, after she had slept for a while, the 'Wise Healer' of the village had come to see Mariah and had fed her parts of what the village saw as a special plant that was supposed to cure the sick, though Mariah didn't feel much better. She ached. She felt bruised though there wasn't a single blemish on her body. The only thing that was different than when she had set out that morning was her feverish temperature and the colour of her skin, which was now almost grey but with pink gracing her cheeks. That, and the fact that the feather on her necklace was freezing to the touch of her hand…

Evening was drawing in and Mariah was sat in her bed, feeling a great deal better than she had that morning. Then again, she had slept through most of the day and then was given her favourite meal of chicken breast and gravy, and that was enough to make _any_ neko-jin feel better. Though she was mentally exhausted, she couldn't help but wonder at the feather. Why was it cold to touch? It didn't feel cold against her chest where it lay but if she stroked it between her fingers it sent some sort of shock through her hand, it was freezing! What was it about this feather? Had fate really brought it to her? If so, what did it mean? So many questions ran through Mariah's head and she wanted answers, but the biggest question of all was 'Where do I find my answers?'

* * *

Later that evening, just as the sun was setting behind the mountains, Mariah found herself staring out across the landscape, wondering whether the rest of her life would be the same. She'd stay in the village, grow up, be married off to someone that she barely knew since arranged marriages were the way of life where she came from, she'd be expected to start a family with this man and raise their children into the same drab lifestyle to which she had become accustomed. Village life was fine when she was a young child, exploring the forests with her friends and playing with the mules that led the carts to the fields for work every morning… And beyblading with Ray. Although she would never admit it to him, Mariah envied Ray in a way. Yes, she was still angry with him for leaving her and for breaking her heart when he had promised so many things and seemingly forgotten to keep them, but still she wished that she could be like him and leave the village for somewhere new and learn new things like he had. Of course, she'd tell her friends and family first – Hell, she'd even invite them to go with her!

"Maybe…" She gazed further out right to the edge of the horizon and sighed, shaking her head. "But Lee would never go."

"Lee would never go where?" Mariah jumped at the sound of her brother's cynical voice. She hadn't realised that he had come into her room, she must have been so far away with her thoughts. She gave him an apologetic look and shook her head at him, her pink ponytail swinging as she did so.

"It doesn't matter." She told him, seating herself at her desk as Lee placed a dish of turkey stew and rice on it and handed her a spoon. She began to sip at the food, enjoying the taste with a soft smile on her lips. Lee couldn't cook many things, but he could make one fantastic turkey stew.

Instead of leaving his sister to eat in peace as he usually did, Lee wandered over to her window and stared out over the horizon, just as she had been doing before he had interrupted her. After watching the sun finish setting, he lit a second oil lamp and stood it the other side of the room to the first one, brightening the space up a little more. He leant against the wall next to the window behind Mariah and observed her for a couple of silent minutes while she finished her food, then he spoke.

"What's on your mind, Mariah?" He questioned, orange eyes fixated upon her, giving him a calm, questioning look. Turning her head toward him, Mariah sighed slightly. How would she be able to tell such an opinionated person like Lee that she wanted to leave the village and broaden her knowledge? He would surely throw the idea back in her face, unless…

"Lee, I want to go to the World Championships." She told him strongly, taking him completely aback.

"It's too late to enter Mariah. Our team is no match for the European teams, we don't know enough." He explained, obviously hating to admit this fact, though it made his sister smile inwardly – Her idea was going perfectly to plan.

"No," she argued, "I don't want to enter." She smiled at him a little before adding, "But like you say, we don't know enough and we could learn more if we left the village for a while to watch." Mariah explained, taking note that Lee seemed to be giving this some thought. "Plus," she absentmindedly twiddled with her hair. "I want to be there when the Bladebreakers lose."

Lee stared at her, not knowing what to make of this last statement. Had his sister actually gone mad? He blinked. Perhaps she was just joking. "… Why?" He asked suspiciously, this wasn't like Mariah! She usually told him off if _he_ ever said anything like that, and now here she was, suggesting it herself! The pink haired girl let a knowing smile appear on her face, she had won.

"Because if they lose, Ray will see that the biggest mistake he ever made was leaving the White Tigers…" Her eyes darkened a little. "Leaving _me_." She sighed. "But that isn't the point Lee, we can always learn more. I _want_ to learn more. Think of all the possibilities! Ray left to broaden his horizons and look where he is now, he's about to battle in the _World Championships_!" She paused, only really taking in that fact herself. Stars appeared in her eyes and she felt the feather burn against her breast. She laughed. "Think of that, Lee! If we could learn everything that Ray has, and if he comes back to us, we will be the strongest team out there, no doubt about it! Please Lee, you have to see this the way I do. Someday, we really could be where Ray is now." She let herself pause for effect, before staring right into her brother's eyes. "This would be the best thing for our team Lee, and you know it."

Lee closed his eyes, sighing. Mariah was right, he _did_ know that leaving the village would be best for the team. He just… Never wanted to admit that Ray had done the right thing for himself in leaving the team and betraying his friends. They had all grown up together, and it was difficult to watch him leave… They had been best friends, it was a lot to let go of. It had been _hard_ for Lee without having Ray around for so long, he would never, ever say that aloud to anybody but Ray himself and he wasn't particularly keen on doing that, but it had been very hard without his best friend there to guide him. The loss of Ray hadn't only affected Mariah, though she was heart broken by his leave. Ray had been like a candle to them, he was always warm and welcoming and helped them get through tough times… When he left and his flame had burned out in the village, the White Tiger team went cold.

Reopening his eyes, Lee gazed at the floor for a while, tracing the pattern in the wooden slates with his eyes. He really hoped that he wouldn't regret what he was about to do. He lifted his head, bringing his deep orange eyes level with the bright youthful golden ones of his sister and nodded. "You're right Mariah." He told her, surprised at the satisfaction he felt for making his sister smile so happily like that. He smiled back, sometimes Mariah could annoy the hell out of him, but sometimes she was a perfect substitute for a best friend. "We'll have to leave early tomorrow though, otherwise we won't get there on time."

Mariah nodded happily. "That's fine. I'll pack a few things up tonight." She told him, still beaming brighter than her oil lamps. Lee gave her a polite nod as he left, and even though he was just closing the door, he still managed to hear the sweet "Thank you Lee" from his younger sister. As he walked down the hall toward the front doors to go and tell his grandfather, Kevin and Gary of the news, he found himself smiling.

Mariah giggled quietly with excitement, they were actually going to leave! She danced and twirled girlishly around her bedroom for a couple of minutes, brushing her hair and humming to herself. Think of all the new things they would discover! While she was gliding about her bedroom, she could feel her feather tickling at her chest, soft and light. She looked at it in the mirror, loving it's prettiness, though also noticing that her skin was back to it's normal colour and that the feverish pink from her cheeks had gone. She had forgotten about her fever during the excitement, though probably knew subconsciously that it was gone and that she looked better since Lee would never have let her leave the village in the morning if she was ill.

She finished brushing her hair and left it loose as she lowered herself onto her elbows and knees before sliding out onto her flat stomach, searching underneath her low bed for her favourite pink duffel bag that she had bought in the city of Hong Kong once. It wasn't all that big, but she thought it would be big enough to fit a week's worth of clothes in, plus the essentials like a bit of makeup and her toiletries. That was all she really needed in the bag as she liked to keep her Galux blade on her at all times, she'd put that in her small rucksack and make sure it never went out of her sight.

She sighed happily, flicking her hair back as she once again gazed out the window, whispering gleefully "Russia, here I come!"

* * *

Sometimes, even things that you've had to put up with for your whole life can scare you. The Demolition Boys knew this, they had always known this, and as Bryan regarded his team captain who, a few minutes ago, was laid in a crumpled heap against the wall, bleeding and broken, he prayed to some higher power that things would get better for them. Years had past since the first time this had happened, nearly a whole decade had passed, but still there they lived and there they suffered. Things would never get better, not until they broke free of his clutches… But who knew when that would be?

_The door was opened with such force that it swung 180 degrees and slammed against the wall, cracking and splintering. Bryan couldn't help but swallow the lump of fear that had formed in his throat as he regarded the broad figure in the doorway, watching as a sickeningly spine-chilling grin spread across the man's face._

"_Good evening, my boys."_

As soon as Bryan had heard the tone of voice his coach and director was speaking with, he knew it was that time again. Time to face the one thing that had haunted his childhood dreams before the scientists had trained him to be a simple shell of a person, no emotions and no feelings. That was their aim, but they had failed. Much as they hated it, Bryan would always look out for his team mates and being older, taller and stronger made that job a lot easier for him. He'd never had to endure so much as the younger two, Tala and Ian. Spencer could hold his own quite easily, though the Seaborg blader wasn't feared by the others like Bryan was. These days Bryan's strength was put to the ultimate test, as Tala's bleeding skull rested in the lilac haired blader's lap, his breathing staggered and his face painted with blood and bruises, the Falborg blader knew that things would never get better while they were still in Balcov Abbey.

Boris was in general just a harsh coach who would glare and shout and train his Demolition Boys for long hours every day, treating them like regimented animals rather than people, and he would laugh when one of them got hurt during battle and tell them they were weak… That was, until he got angry. When the Director was angry, whoever it was that had made him tick would suffer the consequences, and this time it had been Tala's loss to Kai in training earlier that day. Against Black Dranzer, Wolborg was lost and now Tala would take the blame.

_**Flashback**_

Boris stalked into the room, slamming the door behind him and plunging the room into an uneasy darkness. Bryan felt his breath hitch a little and could feel the beads of sweat forming on his palms as he readied his mind for what was about to happen. Boris was getting closer, he could tell, no doubt heading for Tala's bed.

"Tala." Coach Balcov breathed eerily, sending shivers down the spines of all four boys. Tala could be heard gulping and he removed the sheets from over his head and stared up at his trainer, trying not to let the fear show on his face just in case Boris could see him even in the pitch blackness.

"Yes Sir?" He asked, knowing that he was about to seal his fate. Bryan heard a match being struck and soon enough there was a flickering flame being held over a candle that Boris was holding. He lit the candle and tossed the lit match at the redheaded team captain, taking satisfaction in the fact that, although it went out, the hot charred end still burned Tala's lightly quivering hand.

"You lost to Kai." The bulky man stated darkly. Tala nodded.

"Yes Sir. I'm sorry." He replied shortly. "It won't happen again." Boris smirked at this.

"No Tala. It won't." The coach chuckled sadistically. He made a sudden grab at Tala, catching him by his hair, pulling him out of bed. "But there are consequences for your idiocy!" He shouted in rage, bringing the captain's face right up close to his. "And 'sorry' isn't good enough."

As his director grabbed Tala by the shoulders and slammed him against the wall, Bryan gripped the sides of his head, blocking out any sound and closed his eyes just in time as the redhead was served a vicious backhander across his face. He restrained himself from making any noise, even though a whimper of pain was trying to escape his throat, although it was difficult, they all knew that it was best to just stay quiet and let things happen as the more noise they made, the longer the ordeal would continue.

Bryan gritted his teeth and refrained from growling in rage at Boris, even through his blockades, the thuds of a fist meeting his team captain's face were still audible, as were the consistent knocks of Tala's head cracking against the wall behind him with every punch he endured.

Tala's 'lesson' continued for another couple of minutes before Boris gripped the redhead's chin roughly, digging his thumb and fingers into the teen's flesh. He turned Tala's head to face his own and glared, though a manic smile was edging it's way onto the director's face as he spoke.

"I trust that Kai will not beat you again. I do not tolerate failures." Tala nodded weakly, swallowing a mouthful of blood. Bryan dropped his blockades now that his captain had been finished with, and fixated his coach with a deathly glare, noticing that Spencer and Ian were doing the same, though theirs weren't half so frightening as the Falborg blader's.

"Yes Sir." Tala groaned, cringing at the taste of iron in his mouth and throat. Boris smirked and placed a hand on the redhead's chest, giving him an effortless shove that somehow sent him slamming against the wall which knocked him out on impact, a stomach churning cracking noise coming with it.

Boris glanced around the room, laughing at the expressions on his team's faces before setting them all with a glare. "You will win tomorrow." He told them forcefully, striding toward the door. He yanked it open, letting a stream of light flow across the stone floor and blew out the candle. "Understood?" He half shouted, leaving the room and once again slamming the door behind him, plunging the Demolition Boys into darkness. Once the footsteps had faded, the three teenagers leapt out of bed to tend to their unconscious team captain. Bryan sighed as he grabbed the pillow from the nearest bed and sat down, setting the pillow on his lap. Spencer helped to position Tala so that he would be comfortable when he came round, then the three of them just sat on the floor, angry and annoyed with Boris and Kai, and irritated at not being able to do anything about the cuts and bruises on their friend and leader.

Bryan glared at nothing across the room as the minutes ticked away, thinking and gently stroking the red hair nestled in his lap while Spencer and Ian also seemed to be deep in thought. Maybe they were thinking about better days too. Bryan growled out a sigh. They had to win the Championships tomorrow, they _had_ to… Otherwise they would suffer the consequences.

* * *

To be continued…

Review please!


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